Department for Transport

Railways: Lancashire

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the trends in the annual footfall figures for (1) Colne , (2) Nelson, (3) Brierfield, (4) Burnley Central, and (5) Burnley Barracks railway stations; and what discussions they have had with the train operating companies on ways in which the numbers could be increased.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) estimates the number of passengers travelling to and from railway stations by rail within Great Britain. The estimates for Colne, Nelson, Brierfield, Burnley Central and Burnley Barracks are presented in the table below: ColneNelsonBrierfieldBurnley CentralBurnley Barracks2018/1966,00097,44625,50491,20418,0282017/1892,132123,23031,350120,32622,1302016/1795,598132,97033,350125,77820,0802015/1696,946129,76231,504128,61424,5722014/1596,830131,86431,548145,32825,834Please note there have been methodological changes over the recording of these statistics so yearly figures may not be directly comparable. The decline in 2018/19 is due to the introduction of the May 2018 timetable. Table Source: ORR Estimates of Station Usage The start of this month marked the beginning of a new era for passengers in the North, as the first services operated by the government began running on Northern. The immediate priority will be restoring a more reliable and punctual rail service. Passengers have been continually let down by the rail network, so rebuilding passenger confidence is going to be critical. To do this, the northern network needs to meet the needs of the people and communities it serves, so over the first 100 days we have asked the leadership of the government operator to work with local leaders and industry, and engage with passengers, to develop a plan for improvements.

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

baroness howe of idlicote: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of pavement parking on disabled pedestrians.

baroness vere of norbiton: In early 2019, the Department for Transport completed an evidence review of pavement parking in England, looking at the extent of the problem, the effectiveness of the current legislation and options for change. Department officials consulted with a wide range of stakeholders, including Guide Dogs, The Royal National Institute of Blind People and Living Streets, to ensure the safety of disabled pedestrians was considered in the review process. Evidence from that review was provided to the Transport Select Committee as part of their inquiry into pavement parking in summer 2019. The Government has now responded to the committee setting out our intention to carry out a public consultation on possible solutions to this complex problem. The options include allowing local authorities with civil enforcement powers to enforce against unnecessary obstruction of the pavement, and introducing a London-style pavement parking prohibition across England.

Aviation: Shropshire

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the level of air traffic noise over the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, (2) the reasons for any change in such noise levels, and (3) the level of consultation undertaken in relation to changes in air traffic in that area.

baroness vere of norbiton: The airspace and noise issues surrounding Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) were considered in the Department’s Airspace Policy consultation in 2017. The outcome of this work was the Air Navigation Guidance 2017 which is reflected in the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) airspace change process. The guidance for this process sets out the level of consultation required for airspace change proposals. The guidance also requires airspace change sponsors to have regard to the statutory purpose of AONBs when developing proposals. The government has not conducted an assessment of aircraft noise over the Shropshire Hills AONB. Any airspace changes affecting the Shropshire Hills AONB would need to follow the CAA’s airspace change process.

Biofuels

lord steel of aikwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps theyplan to take to ensure adequate availability at petrol stations of E5 ethanol fuel once E10 becomes the standard grade of fuel sold.

baroness vere of norbiton: On the 4 March the Government published the consultation paper“Introducing E10 petrol”. As set out in that consultation we are proposing that, should E10 be mandated as the standard grade of petrol in the UK, we will also introduce legislation that would keep E5 petrol available.

Highways England

lord triesman: To ask Her Majesty's Government which minister Highways England is accountable to; what mechanisms are in place to scrutinise that organisation’s performance; how that performance is judged; when that organisation’s performance in the south west of England was last evaluated; and what plans they have, if any, to review that organisation’s licence.

baroness vere of norbiton: Highways England is accountable to the Secretary of State for Transport. The Secretary of State’s requirements of Highways England are set out in Road Investment Strategies which sets the Department’s long-term vision for the strategic road network. The Department has just announced the second Road Investment Strategy which will run from 2020 to 2025. The Road Investment Strategy includes a set of Key Performance Indicators against which Highways England is measured. Subsequently, Highways England will publish its Delivery Plan to set out in detail how the Road Investment Strategy will be delivered on the ground.The Office for Road and Rail act as Highways Monitor to ensure that Highways England delivers its major programme of investment and other performance commitments. The Office for Road and Rail publishes an Annual Report on Highways England's performance and delivery of its investment plan after each financial year. Highways England’s record is measured as a result of its performance nationally. This regular reporting covers all regions of England.Performance meetings with Highways England are conducted on at least a monthly basis by both Department officials and Transport Ministers in addition to day by day informal contacts.

Highways England

lord triesman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what role Highways England has in delivering (1) the UK’s Industrial Strategy, and (2) the National Planning Policy Framework.

baroness vere of norbiton: Highways England manages the strategic road network that has a vital role in moving people and goods nationwide. It is exploring the impacts that technology will have on use of the network, in line with the grand challenge of the Future of Mobility identified in the Industrial Strategy. It is obliged to act in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework.

Highways England: Planning Permission

lord triesman: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many holding directions Highways England have issued, broken down per English region, for each year since 2017; (2) the estimated costs of such delays, broken down per English region, for each year since 2017; and (3) what estimate they have made of the numbers of new homes and new jobs that have been delayed as a result of such directions.

baroness vere of norbiton: Holding directions is a phrase used to describe where Highways England responds to a planning application with a recommendation of non-approval for a defined period. In 2018/19 497 (12.7% of the total) responses made by Highways England were recommendations of non-approval for a defined period. In 2017/18 502 (12.3%) of responses made by Highways England were recommendations of non-approval for a defined period. In 2016/17 322 (8.5%) of responses made by Highways England were recommendations of non-approval for a defined period. A regional breakdown of these figures is unavailable. Highways England’s 2019/20 figures will be available in June 2020. Highways England has not made an assessment of any costs attributable to delays or on the numbers of homes or jobs which may have been delayed as a result of holding recommendations. The safe operation of the Strategic Road Network is Highways England’s primary concern in responding to planning applications. As such, Highways England has a responsibility to properly evaluate the consequences of proposed developments on the safe and effective operation of its strategic road network. Highways England will comprehensively investigate all evidence to understand the effect proposed developments could have on safety and the performance of the network for all road users. Not infrequently this work will take longer than the statutory deadlines set for Highways England to respond to the planning application consultation. In such circumstances, rather than issue a recommendation of non-approval, Highways England will issue a time limited recommendation of non-approval allowing liaison and negotiation on the development of a viable transport assessment (and solution) whilst keeping the application ‘live’.  Highways England is committed to supporting and enabling growth; its Growth & Housing designated fund has committed some £90million to 28 schemes worth almost £250million, that will enable delivery of up to 45,000 new homes and 44,000 new employment opportunities.

European Aviation Safety Agency

lord bowness: To ask Her Majesty's Government what benefits they expect to arise from the decision not to participate in the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) after 31 December; whether they intend to establish a UK-based organisation to provide comparable regulatory oversight to EASA; if so, what is (1) the estimated cost of establishing such an organisation, and (2) the estimated annual running costs for (a) 2021, (b) 2022, and (c) 2023; what was the cost of their contributions to EASA in (i) 2017, (ii) 2018, and (iii) 2019; and what is the estimated cost of such contributions for 2020.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Prime Minister has been clear that our future relationship with the EU must not entail any application of EU law in the UK or CJEU jurisdiction. Continued UK participation in the EASA system would have been inconsistent with this approach. We want to agree a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) with the EU to minimise regulatory burdens for industry. The UK has the third largest aviation network in the world and the biggest in Europe, with direct flights to more than 370 international destinations in some 100 countries. Air travel is important for both the UK and the EU in connecting people and businesses, facilitating tourism and trade. Aviation and aerospace are critical industries to both the UK and the EU and we have a common interest in ensuring that they can continue to thrive. The UK Civil Aviation Authority currently oversees most aspects of civil aviation safety in the UK and there is no need to establish an additional organisation. After the transition period the CAA will take on some additional functions from EASA and will continue to ensure that the UK has world-leading safety standards. The CAA has been preparing for the possibility of leaving the EASA system since the EU referendum in 2016, including recruiting new staff across the organisation. The CAA will continue to refine these plans over the coming months, and may require additional resources. Progress will be closely monitored. In line with the user charges principle, the majority of the CAA’s costs are, and will continue to be, funded largely through charges on industry. The UK does not make direct contributions to EASA. EASA activities are funded mainly through contributions from charges to industry and the remainder through contributions from the EU and participating states.

European Aviation Safety Agency

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of (1) the number of British staff working for the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, (2) how many of those work outside the UK, and (3) how many of those have agreed to return to the UK to work.

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to make a statement to Parliament about their plan to leave the European Union Aviation Safety Agency;and why they chose toshare this information first withAviation Weekon 6 December 2019.

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the capacity of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to take over the role ofthe European Union Aviation Safety Agency in respect of the UK; and what level of additional resources the CAA will require to do so.

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthe aerospace sector was formally consulted prior to their announcement that they plan to leave the European Union Aviation Safety Agency; and if so, what was the view of that sector of the potential impact of those plans on aviation safety.

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have contributed towards the cost of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in each of the last five years; and what estimate they have made of the total cost within the first year of establishment of the proposed new system to be led by the Civil Aviation Authority.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Prime Minister has been clear that our future relationship with the EU must not entail any application of EU law in the UK or CJEU jurisdiction, or indeed laws and regulations made by the EU Commission (as was the case with EASA). Continued UK participation in the EASA system would have been inconsistent with this approach. We want to agree a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) with the EU to minimise regulatory burdens for industry. The UK has the third largest aviation network in the world and the biggest in Europe, with direct flights to more than 370 international destinations in some 100 countries. Air travel is important for both the UK and the EU in connecting people and businesses, facilitating tourism and trade. Aviation and aerospace are critical industries to both the UK and the EU and we have a common interest in ensuring that they can continue to thrive. The Civil Aviation Authority currently oversees most aspects of civil aviation safety in the UK. After the transition period the CAA will take on some additional functions from EASA and will continue to ensure that the UK has world-leading safety standards. The CAA has been preparing for the possibility of leaving the EASA system since the EU referendum in 2016, including recruiting new staff across the organisation. The CAA will continue to refine these plans over the coming months, and may require additional resources. There has been regular and open engagement with the aviation and aerospace industries on this subject. The EU made it clear in its public mandate (25 February) that it is willing to negotiate regulatory cooperation on aviation safety but its mandate does not provide for UK participation in EASA. In the UK’s published negotiating position (27 February) the UK has made it clear that it is also willing to negotiate regulatory cooperation with the EU through a BASA and that EASA participation is not an option. That both the UK and EU are seeking regulatory cooperation on aviation safety, increases the likelihood of concluding these negotiations before the end of 2020 and provides certainty to industry. The Aviation Week interview with the Secretary of State for Transport on the subject of EASA participation was published on 6 March 2020. The UK does not make direct contributions to EASA. EASA activities are funded mainly through contributions from charges to industry and the remainder through contributions from the EU and participating states. Most EASA staff are employed directly by EASA and based in Cologne and it is the decision for UK nationals employed by EASA whether they remain within the agency. The CAA has previously had a small number of secondees working in EASA but these individuals have all now returned.

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

lord dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of injuries caused by pavement parking.

baroness vere of norbiton: In early 2019, the Department for Transport completed an evidence review of pavement parking in England, looking at the extent of the problem, the effectiveness of the current legislation and options for change. As part of this process, Department officials sought information from a number of local authorities on the number of personal injuries directly attributable to pavement parking. However, little data was available. The Transport Select Committee carried out an inquiry into pavement parking in summer 2019. The Government has now responded to the committee setting out our intention to carry out a public consultation on possible solutions to this complex problem. The consultation will seek to elicit more detailed data on pavement parking-related injuries nationally.

Blue Badge Scheme

baroness sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to renew automatically all blue badges during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what steps they have taken to ensure the continued provision of such badges.

baroness vere of norbiton: Blue badges are valid for up to 3 years. The Department is currently working on its blue badge business continuity plan to ensure our digital and badge production services are resilient enough to continue to produce badges throughout this unprecedented period. Local authorities are responsible for the day to day administration of the scheme and will therefore be making their own arrangements for business continuity to ensure those in need of a badge can still be issued one. This may include pragmatic measures such as assessing applicants over the telephone, rather than face to face. In February 2020, over 75% of applicants applied online for a Badge.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Employment: Bullying

lord brooke of alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to undertake a public consultation onbullying,harassment and sexual misconduct at work.

lord callanan: Any form of bullying and harassment is unacceptable and has no place in today’s workplace. Current legislation already provides robust safeguards for employees against harassment in the workplace. Whilst it is important to have a safety net of legislation to protect employees from the worst form of abuses, the best way to address bad behaviour is through cultural change within the workplace. Employers can, for example, establish good practices through a clear anti-harassment policy and ensure all staff receive training in this area. There are currently no plans to undertake a further public consultation The Government has however identified a need to take further action where employers are using non-disclosure agreements to intimidate victims of harassment into silence. It consulted on the misuse of confidentiality clauses between workers and their employers in 2019. In response to our consultation, we announced a package of measures, including that we will legislate so that no provision in a workplace non-disclosure agreement can prevent disclosures to the police, regulated health and care professionals and legal professionals.

Climate Change Convention

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to hold a roundtable meeting with "Party and non-Party stakeholders on pre-2020 implementation and ambition" ahead of COP26, asagreed at COP25.

lord callanan: Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change agreed at COP25 to hold a roundtable among Parties and non-Party stakeholders on pre-2020 implementation and ambition at COP26, which will take place in Glasgow. The UK government will be involved in preparations as part of its role as incoming President for COP26. The UK Government is also regularly engaging with Party and non-Party stakeholders, led by the COP26 President, the High Level Champion and the COP26 Envoy.

Self-employed: Coronavirus

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide financial support to self-employed people who have to self-quarantine as a result of COVID-19.

lord callanan: The Government is closely monitoring developments of COVID-19 in relation to potential economic impacts on UK businesses, individuals, and the wider economy. As part of an unprecedented package of measures to protect millions of people’s jobs and incomes, the Chancellor has announced that Government will strengthen the safety net for self-employed people. We will suspend the minimum income floor for everyone affected by the economic impacts of Coronavirus, which means every self-employed person can now access Universal Credit at a rate equivalent to Statutory Sick Pay for employees. Those measures amount to nearly £7 billion of extra support through the welfare system to strengthen the safety net and protect people’s incomes. In order to support the self-employed through the tax system, the next self-assessment payments will be deferred until the end of the year.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Pakistan: Ahmadiyya

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the reported occupation of an Ahmadiyya place of worship in District Kusur, Punjab, by anti-Ahmadi extremists, denying Ahmadi Muslims the right to worship.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 09 March 2020.The correct answer should have been:

We are concerned about the occupation of an Ahmadiyya mosque in Kusur District, Punjab. The UK strongly condemns the persecution of all minorities, including the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs. We engage at a senior level on the mistreatment of religious and ethnic groups, including Pakistanis from the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.I raised our deep concerns about this incident in Kusur District and the importance of protecting of the Ahmadiyya community, as equal citizens, in a letter to Pakistan's Human Rights Minister, Dr. Shireen Mazari, on 28 27 February.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are concerned about the occupation of an Ahmadiyya mosque in Kusur District, Punjab. The UK strongly condemns the persecution of all minorities, including the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs. We engage at a senior level on the mistreatment of religious and ethnic groups, including Pakistanis from the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.I raised our deep concerns about this incident in Kusur District and the importance of protecting of the Ahmadiyya community, as equal citizens, in a letter to Pakistan's Human Rights Minister, Dr. Shireen Mazari, on 28 27 February.

Palestinians: Travel Restrictions

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the reported closure of the West Bank and Gaza strip to people and goods for Israeli elections and religious holidaysand the effect of such closures on residents' ability to work.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We recognise the Israeli authorities' legitimate need to deploy security measures in some circumstances, including the closure of checkpoints and crossings, and we encourage them to do so in a way which minimises tensions. Through our Embassy in Tel Aviv we have lobbied the authorities on the issue of movement and access, most recently on 17 December 2019.

Israeli Settlements: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of damage caused bysettler vandalism on the livelihoods of Palestinians.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are troubled by reports of vandalism of Palestinian agricultural land. Such damage is destructive to peace efforts. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population.

Israeli Settlements: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ecological damage and loss of income caused by Israeli settlers reportedly spraying poisonous chemicals on Palestinian crops in the Jordan Valley.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are troubled by reports of vandalism of Palestinian agricultural land. Such damage is destructive to peace efforts. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the reported killing of an unarmed Palestinian near Tul Karm in the West Bank by an Israeli soldier and the subsequent deprivation of the family's Israeli work permits.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made representations on this specific case, the UK is very concerned at such issues. We have raised this issue with the Israeli authorities, encouraging them to carry out transparent investigations into whether the use of live fire had been appropriate. We call on Israel to adhere to the principles of necessity and proportionality when defending its legitimate security interest.

China: Falun Gong

the lord bishop of carlisle: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the government of China's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners has not been referenced in relation to their proposals for a new Magnitsky-style sanctions regime.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have announced our intention to establish a UK autonomous Global Human Rights ('Magnitsky-style') sanctions regime. It would be inappropriate to comment on potential designations before the regulations come into force.

China: Falun Gong

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to theWorld Health Organisation to consider the report of the World Organisation to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong which showed that over 7,000 doctors in China are involved in the systematic killing of prisoners through the enforced body harvesting trade in that country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We consult and share assessments with the World Health Organisation (WHO) on a range of issues, including on allegations of forced organ harvesting. We will continue to consult the WHO on its assessment of the organ transplant system in China.

Mali: Peacekeeping Operations

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their objectives for the forthcoming deployment of 250 UK personnel to Gao in Eastern Mali in support of the UN Peacekeeping Operation; how the deployment will help to address the increasing instability in the region; and how they intend to ensure that British personnel do not become a target or exacerbate the situation.

baroness sugg: The UK's deployment to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, MINUSMA, is part of our strategic approach to the increasing instability in the Sahel region, which brings together our development, diplomacy and defence expertise to help tackle the underlying causes of poverty and conflict in the region. Our objectives are fully aligned with the UN mission's mandate. UK troops will deliver a long-range reconnaissance capability. This will provide greater awareness of possible threats, contributing primarily to the protection of civilians but also supporting the safety and security of UN peacekeepers. UK personnel will be thoroughly prepared and given the right training and equipment to conduct their tasks.

Burma: Rohingya

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of Myanmar about their treatment of the Rohingya, following the International Court of Justice ruling on 23 January.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK continues to make representations to the Government of Myanmar for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of Rohingya refugees. In a statement on 23 January 2020, the former Minister for Asia and the Pacific encouraged the Government of Myanmar to abide by the International Court of Justice's provisional measures and implement the recommendations of the Independent Commission of Enquiry in order to protect the Rohingya and to bring the perpetrators of atrocities to justice. The British Ambassador to Myanmar reinforced these points with the Myanmar Minister for International Co-operation, Kyaw Tin and continues to raise this through engagement with the government.

Israel: Textbooks

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the contents of any Israeli school text books contain incitement of racial hatred toward Palestinians.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government has not made an assessment of this issue. We have a regular dialogue with both the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority in which we reiterate the need for both sides to prepare their populations for peaceful coexistence, including by promoting a more positive portrayal of one another to contribute to building the conditions needed for peace. We urge both the Israeli and the Palestinian leadership to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, any type of action and language that could be considered incitement to violence.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Israel about reports by the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel that a 12 year-old Palestinian boy with a heart condition was taken into custody by Israeli forces on 25 February and was interrogated without family or legal support.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are not aware of these reports and have not made representations to the Government of Israel on the case. Nonetheless, the UK has strong concerns about the continued reports of ill-treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention. Reports of the high number of Palestinian children who are not informed of their legal rights, in contravention of Israel's own regulations, are particularly concerning. We continue to make representations to the Israeli authorities on this issue. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv did so most recently on 16 December 2019. We continue to fund projects providing legal aid to minors and capacity building to local lawyers. Specifically, we advocate for the Israeli authorities to inform more consistently detainees of their legal rights.

Visits Abroad: Italy

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they are giving to (1) ministers, and (2) civil servants, on visiting Italy on official business or as private individuals.

baroness sugg: We have amended our travel advice to recommend against all but essential travel to Italy and this advice applies to all British nationals including ministers and civil servants.

Olympic Games

lord bates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to implement the provisions of UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/74/16Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal,adopted by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 2019.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The United Kingdom co-sponsored the General Assembly resolution "Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal", which calls for Member States to observe the Olympic Truce - a cessation of hostilities around the Olympic Games - within the framework of the Charter of the United Nations, and to promote peace through sport. As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the UK already works to uphold the UN Charter and its commitment to the maintenance of international peace and security.

Mexico: Press Freedom

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Mexico followingreports by the Legatum Institute that 12 journalists were murdered in Mexico between October 2018 and October 2019.

baroness sugg: We recognise the challenges Mexico faces regarding ongoing violence against journalists: media freedom is vital for healthy societies everywhere, and journalists should to be able to investigate and report without fear of violence. We engage regularly with the Mexican authorities at ministerial, official, and state levels to discuss a broad human rights agenda, including freedom of expression and freedom of the press. We welcomed Mexico's co-hosting with UNESCO of the regional International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, in November in Mexico last year. The Foreign Secretary discussed human rights and violence against journalists with his Mexican counterpart when he visited Mexico in August 2019, and Baroness Williams did the same with Interior Minister Olga Sanchez Cordero in September 2019.

Sanctions

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) use, and (2) criteria for the use, of sanctions in order to uphold international law and human rights in other countries.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We will lay secondary legislation in Parliament under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 to establish the Global Human Rights ('Magnitsky-style') sanctions regime in the coming months. A global human rights sanctions regime will allow us to respond to serious human rights violations or abuses anywhere in the world. We are a global leader in the promotion and protection of human rights and we want to demonstrate that the UK can be a force for good in the world.All designations will need to meet the legal tests as set out in the Sanctions Act, which includes ensuring designations are underpinned by robust evidence. The sanctions regime is not intended to target individual countries, but those who commit serious human rights violations or abuses anywhere in the world.

Department of Health and Social Care

Nutrition

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to encourage healthy eating.

lord bethell: Public Health England (PHE) promotes a healthy balanced diet based on the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide, which underpins national policy relating to nutrition. The Eatwell Guide applies to most people from the age of five years.The Eatwell Guide principles are communicated through a variety of channels, including the Government’s 5 A Day campaign, PHE’s healthier catering guidance and PHE social marketing campaigns including Change4Life and One You. Government dietary advice is also communicated online via NHS.uk. The Eatwell Guide, the 5 A Day logo licensing guidelines and Healthier and more sustainable catering: A toolkit for serving food to adults are attached.PHE’s flagship social marketing campaign, Change4Life was launched in 2009 with the aim of inspiring a social movement, through which the Government, the National Health Service, local authorities, businesses, charities, schools, families and community leaders could all play a part in improving children’s diets and activity levels.PHE also continues to work closely with local authorities to encourage use of our tools and resources on nutrition, as part of local initiatives.



Eatwell Guide
(PDF Document, 10.28 MB)




5 A Day licensing guide
(PDF Document, 209.42 KB)




Healthier and more sustainable catering
(PDF Document, 989.64 KB)

General Practitioners: Insurance

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what istheir latest estimate of the cost of the establishment of the state indemnity scheme for general practice, operated by NHS Resolution.

lord bethell: The costs of the establishment of Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice will be reported in the 2019-20 annual accounts of NHS Resolution, once the audit process for the costs is complete.

NHS: Negligence

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Bethell on 3 March (HL Deb, col 503), whether the proposed review of the arrangements for clinical negligence payments will account for (1) payment of NHS lawyers' fees by contingent arrangement, (2) repeal of section 2(4) of the Law Reform (Personal Injuries) Act 1948, and (3) fixed or capped costs for NHS defence lawyers.

lord bethell: The Department is working with the Ministry of Justice, other Government departments and NHS Resolution, looking at a wide range of options to address the drivers of cost of clinical negligence claims. We will update Parliament in due course.

Consent to Medical Treatment: Children

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made ofthe competence of people under the age of 16 to give informed consent to medical procedures which may affect their fecundity;how they decide who is competent to record and assess such consent; whether that person performing those functionsisindependent of the person proposing the medical procedure; and if not, why not.

lord bethell: The issue of informed consent by people under the age of 16 is currently the subject of legal proceedings and therefore the Department is unable to comment pending judicial ruling.

Gender Recognition: Children

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they are conducting to improve the medical (1) assessment, and (2) treatment of, children presenting with gender dysphoria.

lord bethell: Last year the National Institute for Health Research funded a £1.3 million longitudinal research study, titled Outcomes and Predictors of Outcome for Children and Young People Referred to UK Gender Identity Development Services. The results of the study will be made available via articles and publications.In parallel to this work NHS England has also asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to deliver guidelines that will define referral criteria into the Gender Identity Development Service. NICE will also undertake a thorough review of the latest clinical evidence to help inform NHS England and Improvement’s review of the service specification for gender identity development services for children and young people.

Coronavirus: Italy

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure people returning from Northern Italy self-isolate.

lord bethell: Public Health England have updated their advice for people returning from Italy. Since 19 February, this states that people should call NHS 111 and stay indoors and avoid contact with other people even if they do not have symptoms. Any persons who have returned from Northern Italy since 19 February and developed symptoms, however mild, should self-isolate at home immediately and call NHS 111. The Government has put enhanced monitoring measures in place at United Kingdom airports, and health information is available at all international airports, ports and international train stations in English and six other languages.

Coronavirus: Mortality Rates

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the World Health Organisation's estimate of the mortality rate of COVID-19.

lord bethell: Estimates on mortality rates are fluid as the raw data continues to change. The number of cases who have shown no symptoms and have now recovered cannot be known until a test is developed to identify this new immunity. This test is under urgent development globally.The World Health Organization has quoted a 3.4% mortality rate, but this figure was calculated by dividing the number of deaths, by the number of officially confirmed cases, which results in a higher estimated figure. We believe this number does not reflect the actual mortality rate, with other important elements factored in.United Kingdom Government figures on mortality rates include assumptions that there are many more mild cases, that do not get to hospital and are therefore not being counted. Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, believes it will prove to be 1% or lower, once we factor in the currently unknown figures.

Vaccination

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish their vaccines strategy; and whether that strategy will include HPV vaccinations.

lord bethell: The forthcoming vaccine strategy will consider all vaccination programmes over the life-course and, as such, includes human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations. These HPV programmes, introduced for girls in 2008 and extended to boys in 2019, have been highly effective in reducing infections of the HPV types which cause the majority of cervical cancers (HPV16 and 18), and are expected to further reduce other cancers caused by HPV.The vaccine strategy will be published in due course.

Coronavirus: Taiwan

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the success of measures adopted in Taiwan to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

lord bethell: United Kingdom officials continue to work closely with key multinational partners to ensure that the Government’s response to COVID-19 is guided by the international situation, the advice of organisations such as the World Health Organization, surveillance, data modelling and the recommendations of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, which provides expert medical scientific advice.The Deputy Chief Medical Officer is due to have a conversation with key experts in Taiwan to learn further information about their approach. We are enormously grateful for the support from foreign countries like Taiwan.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban gatherings of over 1,000 people in the UK as a result of COVID-19.

lord bethell: The Government have now put measures in place that recommend against all non-essential travel and mass gatherings, additionally the enforced closure of schools. businesses and other venues commenced on 20 March, with previous social distancing and sheltering advice updated as of 22 March.Our approach has been, and will continue to be, guided by the evidence and latest advice from medical experts, including the Chief Medical Officer.It is absolutely critical in managing the spread of this virus that we take the right decisions at the right time based on the latest and best evidence.

In Vitro Fertilisation

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 5 March (HL1700), what were the mitochondrial DNA mutations in each of the 17 applications considered by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority that have now been approved; and on what dates each application was (1) made, and (2) approved.

lord bethell: The following table shows the gene affected and the mutation in each application, the dates each application was made and approved by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) Statutory Approvals Committee. HFEA Application referenceGene affected by mutationMutationDate receivedDate approved by the HFEA Statutory Approvals CommitteeM0001MT-TKDetails omitted to protect patient identity28 June 201731 August 2017M0002MT-TKDetails omitted to protect patient identity4 September 201726 October 2017M0007MT-ND1m.3460 G>A13 March 201824 May 2018M0003MT-TL1Details omitted to protect patient identity25 September 201726 July 2018M0005MT-TL1m.3243 A>G5 December 201726 July 2018M0008MT-TL1m.3243 A>G15 March 201826 July 2018M0004MT-TKDetails omitted to protect patient identity4 December 201730 August 2018M0006MT-TS1Details omitted to protect patient identity9 January 201830 August 2018M0009MT-TIm.4300 A>G28 June 201827 September 2018M0010MT-TIm.4300 A>G11 July 201827 September 2018M0013MT-ND4m.11778 G>A14 July 201825 October 2018M0012MT-ND1m.3460 G>A13 July 201825 October 2018M0014MT-ND4m.11778 G>A23 November 201831 January 2019M0015MT-ND4m.11778 G>A23 November 201831 January 2019M0011MT-ND4m.11778 G>A12 July 201829 August 2019M0016MT-TKm.8344 A>G5 July 201926 September 2019M0017MT-ND4m.11778 G>A22 August 201931 October 2019 Source: HFEA

NHS: Standards

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 9 March (HL1750), whether they plan to make changes to the NHS constitution for England if theymakechanges to NHS access standards.

lord bethell: The NHS England and NHS Improvement Clinically-led Review of Access Standards is still underway. The existing National Health Service performance standards remain in place, and the Government will respond to the recommendations of the review once it has concluded.

Ambulance Services: Emergency Calls

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many ambulance services responded to 90 per cent of Category 2 calls within 40 minutes in 2018–19.

lord bethell: The English ambulances services whose 90th percentile response time for category 2 calls was within 40 minutes in 2018-19 are shown in the following table. Ambulance ServiceCategory 2 2018-19 response timesIsle of Wight Ambulance Service37:46London Ambulance Service39:40South Central Ambulance Service33:13South East Coast Ambulance Service36:42West Midlands Ambulance Service22:11 The 90th centiles for 2018-19 are an estimated position based on monthly aggregated data. Until 9 October 2018, Isle of Wight Ambulance Service continued to use the old Red 1/Red 2/Green categories operationally, and then assign each incident to the new categories C1 to C4 for data reporting. As such, its response times reflected the old category used for each incident, rather than the new category assigned to.

Ambulance Services: Lincolnshire

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research by the Health Services Journal, published on 5 March, which showed that 10 per cent of Category 2 calls for ambulance service in Lincolnshire East between April and September 2019 were not responded to until nearly 90 minutes had passed.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research by the Health Services Journal, published on 5 March, which showed thatone in 10 patients who had made a Category 2 call for an ambulance service between April and September 2019 waited more than an hour for an ambulance in 27 Clinical Commissioning Group areas.

lord bethell: No assessment has been made. All English ambulance services have adopted the Ambulance Response Programme model, and report data at trust level against the Ambulance Quality Indicators. There is no central data collection at clinical commissioning group level and no further assessment will be made, as it is a matter for local commissioners.

Clinical Commissioning Groups: Sussex

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what basis they decided to lift the legal directions on the Crawley Clinical Commissioning Group and the Horsham and Mid Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group.

lord bethell: Crawley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) will merge with the Horsham and Mid Sussex CCG to form a new West Sussex CCG from 1 April 2020. The directions needed to be reviewed before the merger date and reapplied to the new entity if necessary, or they would lapse as the existing CCG legal entities would cease.Following a review, NHS England concluded that the CCGs had addressed the directions as written. However, there remained a significant financial challenge.The new leadership in the CCGs, together with the other partners, have created a recovery board to develop and deliver a financial recovery strategy and plan for these CCGs and their successor. As a result, NHS England has decided that legal directions can be removed.

Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, which was announced in December 2018, to be operational.

lord bethell: The Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Oxford is scheduled to be fully operational in 2022. We are assessing whether it should be accelerated.

Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theWritten Answerby Lord Bethellon 26 February (HL1925), (1) whether they will provide a breakdown of how the £360 million invested in antimicrobial resistance research since 2014 was spent, (2) what assessment they have made of the outcomes from the investment inantimicrobial resistance to date, and (3) what is their strategy for incentivising the pharmaceutical industry to develop antibiotics.

lord bethell: The breakdown of the United Kingdom’s investment into antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research and development since 2014 is set out in the following table:Investment amountItemUK domestic investment£46 millionUK Research and Innovation (UKRI): Cross-Research Council AMR initiative£10 millionNesta: The Longitude Prize£20 millionNational Institute for Health Research (NIHR) AMR-themed callApproximately £8 millionNIHR-funded Health Protection Research Units: Healthcare-Associated Infections and AMR£55 millionDepartment of Health and Social Care: AMR capital funding£4 millionMedical Research Council (MRC): Antimicrobial Target Discovery and ValidationUK international investment/ official development assistance£41 millionUKRI: Research Councils£8.8 millionNIHR: Global Health Research programme£12 millionJoint MRC/NIHR: 3-4 research consortia to identify the primary drivers of AMR in a global context.£60.5 million (initial investment £50 million)*Department of Health and Social Care: Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF)Other investment£107 millionInterdisciplinary AMR research (investments announced at United Nations General Assembly)Note:*Through GAMRIF, push funding into AMR research in development for low-and-middle income countries has also been used to leverage approximately £41 million from other funders.Independent research, commissioned and funded by the NIHR Policy Research Programme, has been conducted on the implementation of the UK five-year AMR Strategy 2013-18, including an assessment of research activity. This evaluation will become publicly available following independent peer review.The UK is undertaking world-leading work on potential solutions that address pharmaceutical market failure by testing an innovative model for the evaluation and purchase of antimicrobials. For our work to have the full effect, we need other countries to offer similar incentives in their own domestic markets, alongside regional or global market incentives solutions. The UK has taken the lead in lobbying for tangible commitments on market incentives in the 2019 G20 Leaders’ declaration and is working with a number of like-minded countries to advocate for clear, next steps from all G20 members.

In Vitro Fertilisation

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the average number of embryos used to save a life using mitochondrial replacement techniques; and how many such embryos they estimate are subsequently transferred to a woman.

lord bethell: The purpose of mitochondrial donation treatment is to prevent the transfer of serious mitochondrial disease passing from mother to child. The treatment is used to ensure that the embryos created do not carry mitochondrial mutations that would otherwise result in serious genetic diseases.The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has to date licensed 17 patients as eligible for mitochondrial donation treatment in the United Kingdom. To protect patient confidentiality, information on the number of patients that have begun treatment cannot be disclosed. It is therefore not possible to provide the information requested.

Department for Education

Woodworking: Apprentices

baroness garden of frognal: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote apprenticeships in the woodworking and joinery sector.

baroness berridge: We have introduced a wide range of reforms to improve the quality of apprenticeships and to encourage employers, of all sizes and in all sectors, across England to create more high-quality apprenticeship opportunities.New high-quality apprenticeship standards, designed and driven by industry, are providing employers with the skills they need. Over 530 standards have been approved for delivery to apprentices. From August 2020 all starts will be on these employer-designed standards.Employers in the woodwork and joinery sector have developed two standards available for delivery – one at level 2 and one at level 3. The sector can also benefit from the 76 new apprenticeship standards in construction-related roles that have been approved for delivery by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. This exceeds the target of 50 set in the 2018 Construction Sector Deal. A further 22 are in development.We continue to encourage the take up of our apprenticeship programme across all sectors, including in construction. The third phase of the Fire it Up campaign launched in January, targeting audience groups that contribute to widening participation in apprenticeships.To ensure that young people hear about all the education and employment options available to them, in January 2018 we introduced a legal requirement for schools to give training providers the chance to talk to pupils about technical qualifications and apprenticeships. We offer a free service to schools through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) project to ensure that teachers have the knowledge and support to enable them to promote apprenticeships to their students. In the last academic year, ASK reached over 300,000 students.Representatives from the National Apprenticeship Service also attended 30 UCAS exhibitions in 2019, engaging with around 10,000 young people, their parents and careers advisers. This work will continue during 2020 alongside our wider communications and marketing activity to raise the profile of apprenticeships.

Adult Education

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving to the recommendations of the report on the adult skills gap by the City and Guilds GroupMissing Millions, published in February; and what plans they have to review adult education.

baroness berridge: Our adult skills system seeks to increase productivity, support employment and promote social inclusion. The Adult Education Budget fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19+ from pre-entry to level 3 and includes funding to help learners to overcome barriers which prevent them from taking part in learning.The attached City and Guilds Group report, ‘Missing Millions’, states that adult skills are becoming increasingly important due to adults being economically active for longer as well as automation and technological change. The department is committed to improving the offer for adults through user research and delivering the flexibility in training that adults tell us that they need.Moreover, over the course of this Parliament, we are providing an extra £3 billion for a new National Skills Fund to help people learn new skills and to prepare for the economy of the future.The City and Guilds Group report also highlights the important role that employers have in investing in training their workforces. 



HL2242_report
(PDF Document, 2.17 MB)

Training

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to improve the statisticset out in the report byBoston Consulting GroupDecoding Global Trends in Upskilling and Reskilling, published on 5 November 2019, that the number of Britons who spent a few weeks a year on learning were below the global average of those in training and work in 2019.

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the Skill India Mission to upskill people through public-private partnerships, and (2) the SkillsFuture initiative in Singapore to provide career-long learning opportunities; and whether they have considered adopting a similar model in the UK.

baroness berridge: The government recognises that there are a number of international examples, including in Singapore and India, which provide useful insights to inform the development of our adult skills reforms.We are also taking steps to improve productivity, employment levels and social inclusion. Programmes including Apprenticeships, funded or co-funded skills provision through the Adult Education Budget, access to Advanced Learner Loans and the National Retraining Scheme enable adults to gain the skills that they need to progress or reskill.The government has started testing the first part of the National Retraining Scheme, Get Help to Retrain, in 6 areas across England. Get Help to Retrain is a digital service that will help users to understand their current skills, explore alternative occupations and find and sign up to training. We will continue to test and further improve the service in 2020. The government is also providing an extra £3 billion to develop a National Skills Fund that helps adults to learn new skills and to prepare for the economy of the future.

School of Oriental and African Studies: EuroPal Forum

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of SOAS University of London’s compliance with the (1) public sector equality duty, and (2) International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, further to the decision to host a student workshop on advocacy for Palestine on campus on 7 March sponsored by EuroPal Forum; and what assessment they have made of (a) EuroPal Forum’s, and (b) EuroPal Forum’s senior leadership’s, relationship with Hamas.

baroness berridge: This government has committed to strengthen academic freedom and free speech in universities and ensure they are places where free speech and debate can thrive – this includes considering the underpinning legal framework. We have made it clear that if universities do not uphold free speech, the government will.However, there is no place in our society - including within higher education (HE) – for hatred or any form of harassment, discrimination or racism, including antisemitism. The government will continue to work with universities to ensure we stamp out antisemitism in all its forms.The government expects HE providers to take their responsibilities, including those under the Equality Act 2010 and for freedom of speech, seriously. We expect HE providers to have robust policies and procedures in place to meet, and balance, their legal obligations effectively and to investigate and swiftly address reports of hate crime, including any antisemitic incidents that are reported.We expect HE providers to have clearly set out procedures and policies for events and the hosting of external speakers, which allow for open, transparent events, challenge and debate and ensure that lawful speech can occur on campuses. Under the Education (No. 2) Act 1986, HE providers have a legal duty to take reasonably practicable steps to ensure freedom of speech within the law for their members, students, employees and visiting speakers.The government does not support blanket no-platforming of individuals or organisations. There have been some examples of attempts to restrict free speech under the banner of no-platforming or safe spaces and it is important that this does not become commonplace.The government adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism in 2016 and has written to HE providers on several occasions encouraging them to consider adopting this definition. The government sees the IHRA definition as an important tool in tackling antisemitism and a strong signal that HE providers take these issues seriously, which is why we will continue to call on higher education providers to adopt this definition.

Students: Plagiarism

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the problem of contract cheating and essay mills.

baroness berridge: Contract cheating and the use of essay mills are global problems. A 2018 study by Swansea University of students internationally, found the number of students outside the UK who admitted to paying for assignments since 2014 equates to one in seven. It is almost impossible to quantify how widespread the use of essay mills is, as the bespoke nature of these “paid for” assignments can make it difficult for providers to detect it is not the student’s own work. Students who engage in contract cheating are also less likely to volunteer to participate in surveys about cheating. In 2016, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education found there are approximately 17,000 instances of academic offences per year in the UK, although it should be noted that this figure includes all types of academic offences, not exclusively contract cheating. In launching the Education Technology Strategy in April 2019, the government made a commitment to “Identify how anti-cheating software can be developed and improved to help tackle the problem of essay mills”. A new generation of plagiarism detection software, focused on authorship investigation, is being introduced in the UK, which will provide universities with data-backed insight into whether students are doing their own work.

Students: Plagiarism

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of essay mills and contract cheating on academic integrity in UK universities.

baroness berridge: The use of fake qualifications or plagiarised assignments is unacceptable. It not only threatens to undermine the reputation of our world-class higher education sector, but also devalues the hard work of those who succeed on their own merit.It is vitally important that providers themselves take action to tackle essay mills, as it is their own reputations and that of the wider higher education sector that are on the line.There are a number of initiatives currently underway or planned that aim to get to grips with this issue. This includes the Quality Assurance Agency updating guidance to support higher education providers in combatting contract cheating via education, prevention and detection. Guidance published by the National Union of Students also seeks to make students better aware of the consequences of contract cheating, sending a clear message that these services are not legitimate.We have set a clear expectation that the Office for Student (OfS) should take a visible lead in challenging the sector to eliminate the use of essay mills. We expect the OfS to work with the members of the UK Standing Committee for Quality Assessment to ensure that the sector has the support it needs, and that it is taking firm and robust action to ensure that this threat to the integrity of our higher education system is being tackled.

Ministry of Justice

Body Searches

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1)biologically female suspectsor prisoners can insist on being strip-searched by, and in the presence of, biological females only, and(2) biologically female policeor prison officers can refuse to strip-search prisonersor suspects who are biologically male.

lord keen of elie: There are lawful and effective procedures in place for the searching of prisoners, visitors and staff to ensure the detection of contraband. HMPPS conduct all searches in accordance with PSI 2016-07 Searching of the Person. All full searches must take place out of sight of the opposite sex, as such, staff must not conduct full searches on persons of the opposite sex.Transgender prisoners who hold a GRC and who are fully post-operative, should be searched by a member of staff of the same gender of the prisoner’s acquired gender; that is, male to female transgender prisoners should be searched by female officers. The prison can insist that there is no discretion in these circumstances, as the prisoner will be both physically and legally of the acquired gender. Male to female transgender prisoners who hold a GRC will be searched according to the women’s full search procedures unless otherwise agreed as part of a voluntary written agreementTransgender prisoners who do not hold a Gender Recognition Certificate and have not received any treatment (surgical or non surgical) for gender dysphoria, would normally be expected to be full searched by staff of the same legal gender. However, all transgender prisoners must be encouraged to enter into a voluntary written agreement in respect of their searching arrangements on arrival to an establishment. The voluntary agreement should be drawn up by local management and must clearly set out the arrangements for searching the prisoner. The establishment must decide if the agreement is suitable, taking into account such factors as legal considerations, possession of a GRC, sex characteristics of the prisoner, views of the prisoner and staff and the likelihood of the prisoner cooperating with a voluntary compact. It should be recognised that as a voluntary agreement the prisoner may withdraw from it any point in time. The details of the compact may need to change as circumstances change. Staff may only be exempt from searching transgender prisoners in exceptional circumstances, for example, where there are genuine religious or cultural reasons for an objection. We are investing £100m in prison security to stop contraband such as drugs, weapons and mobile phones from entering prisons. This includes X-ray baggage scanners and metal detection equipment to enhance searching of visitors and staff and the recently announced X-ray body scanners to detect prisoners concealing contraband inside their body. Searching remains a key element of the range of measures we are deploying to prevent this activity. PSI 2016-07 Searching of the Person is currently under review and searching arrangements for Transgender prisoners may be revised as part of that review.I am unable to comment on your question in relation to Police procedures.

Domestic Abuse: Courts

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the problem-solving approach used in Family Drug and Alcohol Courts to other areas such as domestic violence.

lord keen of elie: The Government announced in the Budget that £5 million has been allocated to piloting integrated domestic abuse courts over the coming financial year, and we will announce more detailed proposals shortly. Problem solving approaches are being employed outside court proceedings to address complex needs of offenders and resolve substance misuse/mental health problems in the community.

Domestic Abuse: Courts

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to fulfil the Conservative Party's 2019 General Election manifesto commitment to "pilot integrated domestic abuse courts that address criminal and family matters in parallel".

lord keen of elie: Separately to my response to your question in HL2395, the Government announced in the Budget that £5 million has been allocated to piloting integrated domestic abuse courts over the coming financial year, and we will announce more detailed proposals shortly. We believe that such courts have real potential to reduce the trauma of court and improve outcomes for domestic abuse victims.

Youth Justice Board: Public Appointments

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they propose to appoint a new Chair for the Youth Justice Board.

lord keen of elie: A recruitment campaign to appoint a new Chair of the Youth Justice Board was launched at the end of August 2019 and is in its final stages. The recruitment process for this role is governed by the Public Appointments Governance Code.

Alternatives to Prosecution

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government which police forces in England and Wales have implemented Checkpoint programmes to reduce reoffending and custodial sentences.

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the use of the Checkpoint programme to all police forces in England and Wales.

lord keen of elie: We are aware of several locally-led out of court disposal initiatives, including the Checkpoint scheme initiated by Durham Constabulary. However, Government does not collect information at national level on such programmes.The Government takes an interest in evidence from the police and their partners about the effectiveness of such novel approaches. Government officials are in contact with colleagues in Durham Constabulary’s Checkpoint programme and we look forward to reviewing Durham’s forthcoming peer-reviewed findings of the randomised control trial phase. It is for operationally independent police forces to determine how they choose to use the flexibility in their gift to adapt their own local policy and practice around the use of Out of Court Disposals, within the constraints of national rules and guidance.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

M5

lord triesman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop the M5 as a growth corridor; and whether they have asked the National Infrastructure Commission to consider such a proposal.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: Government has no plans at present to develop the M5 as a growth corridor. However, this strategic corridor is important for the economies of the Midlands Engine and the Western Gateway.We have supported growth through a number of key projects which include: the recent announcement of £219million Housing Infrastructure Fund to improve Junction 10 in Gloucestershire; £12.19million Local Growth Funding to improve the junction 25 at Taunton; and also the creation of 2 Enterprise Zones, Gravity at junction 23 near Bridgwater and at the Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone at junction 29.

Qari Asim

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist on 9 March (HL2003), to which ''abhorrent hate crime' Viscount Younger of Leckie was referring on 13 February (HL Deb, col 2339); and whether the police are investigating that crime.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: The abhorrent hate crime which Viscount Younger of Leckie referred to was posted publicly on Imam Qari Asim’s twitter account. I understand the incident has been reported to the police, where appropriate and proportionate action will be taken in response. We are proud to have some of the strongest legislation in the world to tackle hate crime.

Homelessness: Coronavirus

baroness bull: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) steps are being taken, and (2) resources are being made available, to support and protect homeless communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: The Government recognises the challenges faced by those who are homeless or sleeping rough during the Covid-19 outbreak. We are working closely with local authorities and the sector to minimise the risk for vulnerable people and those currently unable to self-isolate.As an initial first step we have announced £3.2 million in emergency funding for local authorities to help rough sleepers and those at risk of sleeping rough to self-isolate. This funding will assist local authorities with providing accommodation and support to vulnerable people who are at risk of, or who have been diagnosed with, Covid-19.This is part of a £1.6 billion fund allocated to local authorities to help them respond to coronavirus (Covid-19) pressures across all the services they deliver. This includes increasing support for the adult social care workforce and for services helping the most vulnerable, including homeless people.Public Health England have also published guidance for those working in hostel and day centre environments.

Sleeping Rough: Coronavirus

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what special provisionthey will make for the care ofrough sleepers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: The Government recognises the challenges faced by those who are homeless or sleeping rough during the Covid-19 outbreak. We are working closely with local authorities and the sector to minimise the risk for vulnerable people and those currently unable to self-isolate.As an initial first step we have announced £3.2 million in emergency funding for local authorities to help rough sleepers and those at risk of sleeping rough to self-isolate. This funding will assist local authorities with providing accommodation and support to vulnerable people who are at risk of, or who have been diagnosed with, Covid-19This is part of a £1.6 billion fund allocated to local authorities to help them respond to coronavirus (Covid-19) pressures across all the services they deliver. This includes increasing support for the adult social care workforce and for services helping the most vulnerable, including homeless people.Public Health England have also published guidance for those working in hostel and day centre environments.

Ministry of Defence

Syria: Military Intervention

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British military casualties have been incurred in Syria since Parliament authorised the extension of the campaign against Daesh to Syria on 2 December 2015; and how many of those casualties were caused by Daesh.

baroness goldie: The Government publishes figures annually setting out statistics concerning casualties. For the latest figures I refer the Noble Baroness to the attached document, published on 28 March 2019( the next figures will be released on 26 March 2020). The information can also be found at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/789825/20190328_UK_Armed_Forces_Operational_deaths_post_World_War_II-O.pdf  



UK Armed Forces Operational deaths
(PDF Document, 468.01 KB)

Syria: Military Intervention

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the objective of British forces being present in Southern Syria.

baroness goldie: We remain committed to the fight against Daesh in Syria, and its objective of securing Daesh's lasting defeat. UK Armed Forces are playing a leading role in the Global Coalition to defeat Daesh. The UK has had around 1,100 military personnel committed to counter-Daesh operations across the Middle East.

Syria: Military Intervention

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the resolution of the House of Commons on 2 December 2015 (HC Deb, col 499) approving military action against Daesh in Syria, what assessment they have made of the presence of British ground troops and their incurring casualties in Syria.

baroness goldie: We remain committed to the fight against Daesh in Syria, and its objective of securing Daesh's lasting defeat. UK presence in the region is essential to ensuring that Daesh is not able to regroup. This includes contributions to Coalition leadership, force protection, and enablement. It would be almost impossible for any counter-Daesh mission to continue without these contributions.

Syria: Military Intervention

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether British forces have participatedwith, or assisted, armed groups in Syria since December 2015 in attacks against Syrian government forces or allied militias.

baroness goldie: The United Kingdom is a member of the Global Coalition, formed in September 2014. Membership comprises 76 member states; including Iraq, Arab nations, European partners and the US, and five international institutions. The Coalition supports the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the Iraqi Security Forces in the ongoing military campaign in Iraq and Syria.

Department for Work and Pensions

Statutory Sick Pay: Coronavirus

baroness sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to extend statutory sick pay to people earning below the threshold of £118 per week who are affect by COVID-19.

baroness stedman-scott: As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that no one should be penalised for doing the right thing. These are rapidly developing circumstances, we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

Statutory Sick Pay: Coronavirus

baroness sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise statutory sick pay to the level of the National Living Wage for those affected by COVID-19.

baroness stedman-scott: As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that no one should be penalised for doing the right thing. These are rapidly developing circumstances, we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

Universal Credit: Coronavirus

baroness sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reform the application process for Universal Credit to reflect their advice on self-isolation for COVID-19.

baroness sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to suspend the five week wait for Universal Credit for people affected by COVID-19.

baroness sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase Universal Credit payments for those affected by COVID-19.

baroness stedman-scott: As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that no one should be penalised for doing the right thing. These are rapidly developing circumstances, we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

Employment and Support Allowance: Coronavirus

baroness sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to make the Employment Support Allowance eligible for people affected by COVID-19; and(2) to suspend the need for three years of National Insurance contributions for the Employment and Support Allowance for those affected by COVID-19.

baroness stedman-scott: As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that no one should be penalised for doing the right thing. These are rapidly developing circumstances, we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fisheries

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government how Parliament will be informed of progress made in their negotiations with the EU on fishing rights.

lord gardiner of kimble: On 20 December 2019 the Prime Minister, at the Second Reading of the Withdrawal Agreement Act, committed to keeping Parliament fully informed of the progress of negotiations.

Home Office

China: Uighurs

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports that Uighur detainees in Xinjiang are being used as forced labour, what assessment they have made of Huawei’s compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015;what consideration they have given to such compliance in regard to their decision to award contracts to Huawei; how they (1) assess, and (2) investigate, such reports; and what sanctionsthey can utilise in such cases.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK Government expressed its concerns about China’s systematic human rights violations in Xinjiang, including credible and growing reports of forced labour, during the recent UN Human Rights Council.The Government is committed to preventing modern slavery in the global economy, including in our own supply chains.We will shortly publish the first ever Government modern slavery statement and we have published guidance for commercial teams to assess the risk of modern slavery before, during and after contract award.We are developing a government-run registry of modern slavery statements to make it easier for consumers, investors and civil society to hold businesses to account. We have also consulted on proposals to strengthen the Modern Slavery Act and increase the quality and compliance of statements.

Law and Order

lord anderson of ipswich: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the figures presented in section 5.9 of the HM Government Transparency Report 2018: Disruptive and Investigatory Powers(Cm 9609), published on 23 July 2018, (1) how many UK citizens were deprived of British citizenship under section 40(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 in 2018 and 2019; and (2) when the next transparency report on disruptive and investigatory powers will be published.

baroness williams of trafford: The HM Government transparency report on disruptive powers 2018-19 was published 19 March this year and confirms that 21 individuals were deprived of British citizenship under section 40(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 in 2018. Figures for 2019 will be available in the following transparency report on disruptive powers which will be published in due course.

Migrant Workers: Doctors

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications were received from NHS doctors to bring their dependents to the UK; and how many of those were (1) granted, and (2) declined, in each year since 2012.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not collate this data in an accessible way or publish the information requested.

Hate Crime: Gender Recognition

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy regarding the use of the phrase 'gender identity’, as opposed to the protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 of ‘gender reassignment’ in such official documents as the Hate Crime Operational Guidance and the Crown Prosecutions Service’s LGBT Hate Crimes Schools Pack.

baroness williams of trafford: In the context of Government publications related to hate crime, the terms race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity are used to refer to the characteristics which offences can be aggravated by.This terminology is consistent with the national definition of hate crime agreed between the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Crown Prosecution Service, and relevant legislation, including sections 145 and 146 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

Visas: Armed Forces

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to waive visa application fees for military personnel from Commonwealth countries.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office is listening carefully to those with concerns about how members of HM Forces can have the support of their families whilst serving our country.We are continuing to discuss the impact of immigration fees on members of the HM Forces with the Ministry of Defence.

Immigration: Appeals

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have spent on defending immigration decisions that wereappealed, in each of the last five years.

baroness williams of trafford: The exact information requested is not held centrally by the Home Office in a way that allows us to answer this question.Statutory Appeals are mainly represented at the First-tier and Upper Tribunal by Home Office Presenting Officers and Senior Presenting Officers. In Higher Courts, and on occasion when appropriate at the Tribunal, the Home Office will instruct Counsel to defend our decisions.

Visas: Ministers of Religion

the lord bishop of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the UK's points-based immigration system: policy statement, published on 19 February, what changes, if any, they plan to make to the existing Tier 2 Minister of Religion Category.

baroness williams of trafford: Under the current Immigration Rules, there are a range of routes for specialist occupations, including Ministers of Religion and temporary religious workers.There are no current plans to change these routes, though from January 2021, these routes will be opened to EEA citizens.

Visas: Biometrics

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of staff working at visa application centres, processing biometric data for applicants for UK visas, they directly employ.

baroness williams of trafford: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) runs different types of visas application centres in the UK and overseas. Over four 4 million visa and immigration applications each year (visit, work, study, family, other)are processed in these centres.The majority of application centres overseas are run by commercial suppliers (VFS Global and TLS Contact) who employ theirown personnel. In the UK, Sopra Steria Ltd run application service points, again with their own employees. Biometric data of customers is taken by supplier staff.There are several locations in the UK - UKVI Service and Support Centres (SSCs) - in which biometrics are taken and which are staffed by UKVI directly-employed personnel.

Visas: Biometrics

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether staff collecting biometric data from applicants for UK visas are involved in the decision-making process for awarding visas.

baroness williams of trafford: Staff employed by our suppliers who collect biometric data from applicants for UKVI are not involved in the visa decision making. Staff in the SSCs are directly UKVI employed and some are trained decision makers involved in the decision making process.

Cabinet Office

Ethnic Groups: Equality

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord True on 6 March (HL1720), what specific actions they are taking in relation to (1) health, and (2) education, as a result of the data and analysis published by the Race Disparity Unit.

lord true: The Race Disparity Unit (RDU) publishes data and analysis on the Ethnicity Facts and Figures website about variances in treatment or outcome affecting people of different ethnicities in relation to health and education.Changes to Government policy will be announced by departments in the usual way.

Government Departments: Cybercrime

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to review the minimum cyber security standards for Government departments.

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a risk assessment has been carried out to assess the implications of not reviewing the minimum cyber security standards for Government departments.

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Government departments meet, or exceed, the current minimum cyber security standards set out for Government departments.

lord true: The Minimum Cyber Security Standard for Government was introduced in 2018, drawing on the expert technical advice of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).The Government Security Group is working with departments, including NCSC and Government Digital Service, to understand what changes, if any, need to be made to the Minimum Cyber Security Standard. This review is already underway and is intended to be an annual activity with updated standards published on GOV.UK accordingly. Over time, the measures will be incremented to continually ‘raise the bar’ to keep pace with a changing threat and ensure appropriate management of risk.

Civil Servants: Pay

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the average salaries of central Government civil servants, broken down by grade, who retired in the last full year for which figures are available; and what were those peoples average salaries two years before retirement, broken down by grade.

lord true: The average salaries of civil servants at delegated grades who retired between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2019 are below. We do not track individual salaries back to previous years at delegated grades. Delegated grade retirees in 2018-19AAAOEOHEOSEOG7G6Average salary on retirement£18500£21800£27200£33900£42100£56500£68300 These figures are sourced from the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey, rounded to the nearest £100, and only include those with a known salary: 22% of retirees did not have a reported salary.Average salaries of civil servants at a Senior Civil Service (SCS) level who retired between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2019, for the most recent available year and two years prior are below. SCS retirees in 2018-19SCS PB1SCS PB2SCS PB3Average salary on 31 March 2016£84,100£100,000-Average salary on 31 March 2018£85,700£103,700- These figures are sourced from the Cabinet Office SCS database. Grade is as at the time of retirement. Figures are not released where less than 5 staff are counted (indicated by “-”), rounded to the nearest £100, and only include those with a known salary in both years. Salary data is not available for all prior years, and 19% of retirees did not have a recorded salary over this period.

UK Relations with EU

lord bowness: To ask Her Majesty's Government under which part of The Future Relationship with the EU: The UK’s Approach toNegotiations (CP211), published in February, and in which group of theTerms of Reference on the UK–EU future relationship negotiations, published on 28 February, they intend to seek mutual recognition between the UK and EU member states on (1) the European Health Insurance Card, (2) drivers' licences, and (3) disabled blue badges.

lord true: As set out on 28 February in Annex A of the Terms of Reference on the UK–EU future relationship negotiation, 11 negotiating groups have been established.The arrangements relating to future healthcare cooperation will be discussed in the group entitled ‘Mobility and Social Security Coordination’ including those that provide temporary healthcare cover for tourists, short-term business visitors and service providers.The transport arrangements set out in the UK’s Approach to Negotiations will be covered in the ‘Transport’ group. Driving licences are a member state competence and we intend to conclude bilateral agreements to secure recognition of UK licences for visiting drivers (commercial and private) as well as exchange for UK licence holders who relocate to the EU.Reciprocal recognition of blue badges operates across the EU on the basis of goodwill between member states. We’ve asked UK local authorities to continue to recognise EU blue badges and we hope that member states will do the same.

UK Relations with EU

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to pause their negotiations with the EU due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

lord true: Given the latest coronavirus developments, Round 2 of negotiations did not formally start on the 18th March.We remain in regular contact with the European Commission to explore alternative ways to continue discussions, and will be guided by scientific advice.

Treasury

Infrastructure: South West

lord triesman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their infrastructure priorities for the south west of England.

lord agnew of oulton: Infrastructure is a top priority for the Government, essential for jobs, growth, and supporting a high quality of life. Over the next five years the public sector will invest more than half a trillion pounds in the UK’s future prosperity, including investing in infrastructure across the UK. For example, as part of the second Road Investment Strategy, the Government will spend £2.7bn between 2020 and 2025 in the South West. This will help to build the A303 Stonehenge and the A417 Air Balloon. The South West will also benefit from its share of £5 billion to support the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband in the most difficult to reach 20% of the country, and of £510 million to support the Shared Rural Network to extend 4G mobile coverage cross the UK. The Government will further publish a National Infrastructure Strategy, setting out the Government’s long-term ambitions for economic infrastructure.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling Commission

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to set up a review of the terms of reference of the Gambling Commission and the extent to which that Commission is working to meet those terms.

baroness barran: The government is committed to reducing gambling-related harm and works closely with the Gambling Commission. We have committed to review the Gambling Act 2005, which is the basis for the regulation of gambling in Great Britain, including the powers and duties of the Commission. We will announce further details in due course. We welcome the National Audit Office’s report on Gambling Regulation: Problem Gambling and Protecting Vulnerable People and are considering its recommendations carefully with the Commission.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Parliament: Migrant Workers

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what support is available to support new House of Lords and bicameral staff to learn English.

lord mcfall of alcluith: The House of Lords Administration has partnered with the House of Commons to offer an English Language course to staff of both Houses and bicameral staff. The programme is provided by West London College and runs for 13 weeks, from 10 January 2020 to 3 April 2020. The Administration has marketed this course to staff in Property and Office and Catering & Retail Services where there is high representation of people for whom English is not their first language. Depending on evaluation of the course, it may run again in 2020.

Women and Equalities

Veganism

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the ruling by Justice Robin Postle on 3 January that veganism satisfies the tests required for it to be a philosophical belief and is therefore protected under the Equality Act 2010, and (2) the Vegan Society’s leaflet, Supporting veganism in the workplace: a guide for employers; and whether they will issue guidance on supporting veganism in the workplace.

baroness berridge: Further to the answer I gave to PQ HL2142, the Government currently has no plans to issue any guidance on supporting veganism in the workplace. Any employer unsure about their obligations to accommodate staff who are vegan should either contact ACAS for advice or, if more appropriate on a specific case, obtain legal advice.

Gender

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their definition of (1) man,(2) woman, (3) male, (4) female, (5) boy, (6) girl, (7) transgender, (8) sex, (9) gender, and (10) gender identity.

baroness berridge: In the Equality Act 2010, "man" is defined as "a male of any age"; and "woman" as "a female of any age". The other terms listed in the question are not defined, except that "the protected characteristic of sex" is defined in Section 11 of the Equality Act as a reference to a man or a woman, or to persons of the same sex, as appropriate.The Government Equalities Office provided a list of terms to help set the context and support respondents in completing the 2018 Gender Recognition Act Consultation. This included short descriptions of the terms ‘sex’, ‘gender’, ‘transgender’ and ‘gender identity’: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/721725/GRA-Consultation-document.pdf

Gender: Equality

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures, if any, have been put in place to ensure that the Government Equalities Office has regular input into policy proposals to be put forward by (1) the Home Office, (2)the Ministry of Defence, (3) the Department for International Development, and (4) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, with particular regard to policies on gender equality.

baroness berridge: All public bodies in Great Britain, including Whitehall departments, have a legal obligation under the Public Sector Equality Duty to consider the potential effects of key decisions on groups with protected characteristics including gender.They are also required to set and publish specific and measurable equality objectives which Whitehall departments have for the last two years included in their Single Departmental Plans. The Government Equalities Office (GEO) encourages departments to publish equality objectives that cover strategic policy work and not only workforce and Human Relations issues. In addition to this, the International Development Act (Gender Equality) 2014 puts the Department for International Development’s commitment to gender equality on a statutory footing and ensures that gender equality remains at the heart of its work.GEO has engaged with the specific departments listed on a number of policies including those related to gender equality. For example, as part of the Government’s Violence Against Women and Girls’ Strategy, GEO are working alongside Home Office on work to tackle harmful gender norms.